Cattle-guard.



F. M. PETTY. 0mm: GUARD APILIOATION IILED MAY22 1913.

1 102 295, Patented July 7,1914. Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-THO WASHINGTON 11 C Patented July 7,1914

2 BHEBTBSHEBT 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 50.. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINONH. D C.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. PETTY, 0F SWINK, OKLAHOMA.

CATTLEsGUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1914.

Application filed May 22, 1913. Serial No. 769,147.

ful improved cattle guard or barrier for railways.

An object of the invention is to prevent the passage of stock and the like, but upon approach of a train, the device will be antomatically swung downwardly or out of position, while the trainpasses, after which the device will immediately resume its normal position. On examining the drawings it will be observed that the device may be operated from either side, by an approaching train, thus adapting the device to either a single or double track railway.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, to which the patentee is entitled, provided the alterations fall within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved cattle-guard constructed in accordance with the invention, and as applied to a railway track. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the usual ties while 2 denotes the rails thereon. Mounted in bearings 3 of the rails is a rocking rod 4, risingupwardly from which and. radially therefrom are forks or pales 5, which are reinforced by transverse bars 6, thereby forming a barrier or gate to prevent the passage of cattle or live stock. Two of the forks or pales 5 project downwardly forming arms 7, in bearings of the extreme ends of which pins or bolts 8 are arranged, to which the connecting rods 9 and 10 are connected. Also projecting upwardly from the rock rod 4 is a pair of members 11, which are semi-circular as shown, and to which the springs 12 and 13 are connected.

The springs are in turn connected at 14; to the ties, thereby constituting means for holding the gate or guard in a vertical position. Mounted in bearings of the rails ar rock rods 16 and 17 having members 18 gand 19 extendingat right angles thereto. The lower arms 20 of the members 18 and 19 are connected to the rods 9 and 10, while the upwardly extending arms (which are wider at their upper ends than the lower.

arms) are disposed in the path of an approaching train, regardless of the direction of the train.

The normal position of the guard or bar- .rier is as shown in Fig. 1, and as the train reaches the arms 18 and 19, whether coming in one direction or the other, the arms 18 or 19 are thrown downwardly by the moving train, thereby rocking one or the other of the rods 16 and 17, which in turn rocks the rod 4, thereby throwing downwardly the gate or barrier, through the connections 9 and 10, and after the train has passed, the springs automatically return the guard or barrier to its normal position.

A train just before reaching the gate or guard strikes the members 18, thereby throwingthe gate or guard down in a lowered position, and also throwing the members 19 downwardly so that their free ends will engage the pivoted spring-tensioned latches 21, thereby holding the gate or guard locked in a lowered position. Also mounted in bearings of the rails is a rock shaft 25 having an arm 26 to be engaged by the flanges of the car wheels. The rock shaft or rod 25 is also provided with an arm 27 extending at right angles to the arm 26. Connecting the arm 27 pivotally at 24 is a rod 22, one end of which terminates in a fork 23, the arms of which pivotally'conneat to the latches 21. In Fig. 1 there are two rods 22 including their forks 23 shown, but only one rod 25. However, in practice there will be two rods 25, each to be disposed extremcly remotely from the gate or guard on each side thereof. After the train has passed over the gate or guard, the same moving in the direction of the members 19, the flange of one of the car wheels will contact with the arm 26 so as to rock the rod or shaft 25, which will pull upon the rod 22 owing to the arm 27 being connected to it, so as to actuate the latches 21, whereby the members 19 may be released, and when released the gate or guard owing to the tension of the springs 12 will assume its normal vertical position. The reverse of this look ing and unlocking of the gate is true, when the train is passing in the direction of the members 18.

From the foregoing it will be noted that there has been devised a simple and efiticient cattle-guard or barrier, and one which has been found practical.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In combination with a falling barrier disposed transversely of the rails of a railway, said barrier comprising a rock shaft having upwardly extending members and downwardly extending arms, springs connecting said members and the ties of the railing upon each side of the barrier thereby constituting means for holding the barrier in a vertical position, a pair of rock rods mounted in bearings of the rails and parallel with the barrier one upon each side thereof, each having upwardly and clownwardly extending arms, and rod connections between the doi-vnwardly extending arms of the barrier and the downwardly extending arms of the rock rods, the upwardly extending arms of the rock rods adapted to be contacted with by a moving train to actuate the barrier, spring-tensioned latch members carried by the ties to be engaged by the upwardly extending arms of the rock rods to hold the barrier down, and means including a rod having a forked end connected to the latch members to release them from the arms of the rock rods to allow the barrier to return to its normal position.

2. In combination with a falling barrier disposed transversely of the rails of a railway, said barrier comprising a rock shaft having upwardly extending members and downwardly extending arms, springs con necting said members and the ties of the railway upon each side of the barrier thereby constituting means for holding the barrier in a vertical position, a pair of rock rods mounted in bearings of the rails and parallel with the barrier one upon each side thereof, each having upwardly and downwardly extending arms, and rod connections between the downwardly extending arms of the barrier and the downwardly extending arms of the rock rods, the upwardly extending arms ofthe rock rods adapted to be contacted with by a moving train to actuate the barrier, devices to be engaged by the upwardly extending arms of the rock rods to hold the barrier down, and means remote from the devices to release them from the arms of the rock rods to allow the barrier to return to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. FRANCIS M. PETTY. lVitnesses W. R. FULLER, WV. T. MARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

